After winning two games back-to-back, the Sacramento Kings picked up another loss to the Phoenix Suns. If you actually look at the numbers and how the game played out, there are a lot of positives to take away from the game, particularly how hard the Kings fought for three quarters.
It's easy to feels jaded about the Kings considering they're sitting in the 13th spot in the Western Conference with a record of five and 14. Considering the season is just about 25% over and the West is stacked, it's hard to see them finding a path to the postseason.
At the same time, there are a lot of positives to look at. Keegan Murray has returned with a more aggressive attitude, and is playing like the superstar fans know he is. The Kings have solid rookies who will develop into great players. Russell Westbrook is playing like it's 10 years ago.
When you really take a look at a loss like the one the Kings picked up against the Suns last night, there's a lot of good to takeaway from it. Sure, a loss is a loss but the Kings kept fighting despite a brutal start the game, and pulled up from another blowout nosedive.
The Kings climb out of a deep hole
If you watched the game, you know that the Suns absolutely torched the Kings in the first quarter. By the end of the opening 12 minutes, Phoenix was up 41 to 16, a dismal start to the game by anyone's standards. Coming back to win in that scenario was incredibly unlikely. And the Kings didn't win.
Sacramento also didn't give up. They won the second and third quarters, cutting a 25 point deficit to 10 points. The Kings absolutely owned the third quarter in particular, dominating it by a score of 28 to 16. The final frame sealed the deal for the Suns, though it was quite even at 29 to 27 for Phoenix.
Yes, the Suns came out guns blazing, and took control of the game early. The Kings came back, though, and made a game of it. Ultimately, they only lost by 12 points. If the Kings had a more competitive first quarter, they could have easily beaten the Suns.
Again, a loss is a loss, and it's easy to get caught up in all the "what ifs" that can pop up. Still, it's important to look at the bigger picture and recognize that the Kings played 36 minutes of good basketball last night. They just need to make sure they do that for the full 48 next time.